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Journalist tells of mugging ordeal

Cape Town - Broadcast journalist Paula Chowles has spoken of her ordeal at the hands of two knife-wielding assailants while she was out cycling on Sunday.

Chowles, a reporter with eNews Channel Africa, was mugged by two men on the city’s bicycle lane, which runs from Blouberg to the city centre.

A friend who was with her managed to evade the attackers, who took off with a backpack containing Chowles’s personal belongings.

“We were at the last bridge before you go over to Woodstock and you obviously have to go slower. My friend managed to get away, but I wasn’t that lucky. They pushed me on the side of the bridge and grabbed my backpack.” Chowles said she tried to fight the attackers off, but when one of them pulled out a knife, she stopped resisting.

“They took my backpack, which had my wallet, phone and keys. Then they ran across the train tracks towards the Woodstock side,” Chowles said.

“What is the point of a great cycling lane when you can still get stabbed?”

Brett Herron, the mayoral committee member for transport, roads and stormwater, said he was aware of about four similar muggings over the past year in the city’s dedicated cycling lanes.

He said they have asked law enforcement officers to step up patrols near where the attack happened.